Tag Archives: mice

Today’s picture book is a celebration of the vagaries of parenthood, kindly provided to us by new children’s imprint Scribble Publications for review. There’s also a giveaway for Aussie residents at the end of our review, so don’t forget to enter! Little Mouse by Riika Jantti takes the reader gently by the paw and leads them through a typical day in the life of a parent-caregiver and pre-school aged tot. Here’s the blurb from Scribble:

A day in the life of a toddler is a busy one — as all parents know — and Little Mouse’s day is no exception. Between getting dressed, going to childcare, eating dinner, and making time for splashing in puddles, Little Mouse has a lot to do … and a lot to say ‘no’ to!

This warm and humorous picture book from well-loved Finnish author/illustrator Riikka Jäntti introduces Little Mouse — a small kid with a big personality — who parents and childen will relate to instantly. In Little Mouse, everyday life combines with the wonder of early childhood to produce a captivating story that’s sure to become a read-aloud favourite.

There is a quiet charm in this book, which springs entirely from the fact that it will be so completely familiar to anyone who has ever had to look after a small child for any length of time. Nothing particularly exciting or unexpected happens in the story – the plot merely follows the events of a typical day for a mother and child – but the cheeky illustrations and many inflections on the word “No!” provide a giggle. This image from one of the page spreads has to get the prize for summing up the perpetual state of exasperation in which many care-givers find themselves when having to repeatedly ask a young child to complete perfectly reasonable tasks, such as putting on clothes and eating food:

Did you get that? Here it is in close up:

See, you’re already feeling for Mummy Mouse, aren’t you?

Aside from the exasperation, there are also many moments of simple joy throughout the book, as when Little Mouse gets to play with his friends, jump in a puddle or (blissfully) fall into bed at the end of the busy day. The book has an old-fashioned appeal to it, with a simple story and multiple illustrations on each page that will help little ones to follow the events.

We would recommend Little Mouse for when you and your mini-fleshling need a story that is entirely free from modern trappings and revels in the simple pleasure of sharing everyday happenings with each other.

Scribble are generously offering TWO readers the chance to own their very own copies of Little Mouse. To enter, just click on the rafflecopter link below.